La la la laaaaa

March 16, 2004 9:52 AM

What does a scale in dorian modesound like? How about a dominant one-tension chord? Find out. Or maybe you'd just like to hear some intervals.
posted by sodalinda (19 comments total)

I only got as far as intervals in my collegiate ear training classes before i ran out of room in my schedule for them. Now i can drill myself for the entirety of spring break!

Thank you for the very useful links.
posted by krisis at 10:17 AM on March 16, 2004

I ♥ sound.
posted by jpoulos at 10:35 AM on March 16, 2004

Welcome to MusicMajorFilter.com

For those who don't understand modes (which is to say 95% of all Americans), imagine a plain vanilla, white note, "C Major" scale. That's Ionian. Start on D to get Dorian, E for Phrygian, F for Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian, B Locrian (which is not used much because the Tonic triad would be Diminished). Remember them with the saying "I Don't Particularly Like Modes A Lot." Next class period we will talk about the historical basis for the modes, and the rise of modern tonality.
posted by ilsa at 10:47 AM on March 16, 2004

This is the most useful link (to me personally ) that has ever been posted on Metafilter.
posted by konolia at 10:52 AM on March 16, 2004

Not to be a me-tooer (is there such a thing?) but this is a wonderful, tasty link. Thanks, sodalinda!
posted by Lynsey at 12:11 PM on March 16, 2004

Well. Haven't done this in a while. I can name intervals, but I suck at the jazz chords.
posted by kozad at 12:11 PM on March 16, 2004

I would love to do this, but I don't hear the sounds. Anyone else have this problem?
posted by internal at 12:39 PM on March 16, 2004

Freaking awesome. I &hearts FPPs about music.

It's been years since I've studied any musical theory, but it's nice to see I've still got my ear. Not quite perfect pitch, but relative pitch (so long as I have at least one note to compare the others to.)
posted by emelenjr at 12:56 PM on March 16, 2004

gah. the symbols never work for me.
posted by emelenjr at 12:57 PM on March 16, 2004

B Locrian (which is not used much because the Tonic triad would be Diminished)

As post-punk and metal players (should) know, Locrian and Phrygian are extremely useful. Certainly these modes are crucial to my carrot-and-stick theory of composition: the more dissonant and nasty-sounding the stick is, the less consonant the carrot needs to be.
posted by alex_reno at 1:03 PM on March 16, 2004

ilsa: watch out, I almost put the schenkerian analysis link in there, but refrained out of good taste. Go musicians, go!
posted by sodalinda at 1:24 PM on March 16, 2004

Jazzers frequently lean on Locrian scales as well; they work very well over half-diminished chords, especially when trying to emulate an early bebop sound.

And, to chime in with everyone else who's already said so, great links!
posted by thomascrown at 1:34 PM on March 16, 2004

Thanks for posting this. I'm gonna make it a dreaded part of guitar practice from now on.
posted by ChuqD at 1:35 PM on March 16, 2004

You can also hear the extensive use of the dorian mode in the famous Miles Davis tune "So What?" from Kind of Blue. Just in case anyone wants to hear what it sounds like in real life.
posted by boltman at 3:46 PM on March 16, 2004

Great links - I've passed them on to my music teacher friends.
posted by cbrody at 4:55 PM on March 16, 2004

Internal - I didn't have a problem - but the sounds appear to be in quicktime format, if that makes a difference. Awesome like, I think I'll work on getting perfect pitch.
posted by woil at 5:39 PM on March 16, 2004

Aye, Internal, you need quicktime. I'm off to try to find a quicktime download that isn't bundled with itunes...
posted by trharlan at 7:07 PM on March 16, 2004

Works at home. Thanks for the link.
posted by internal at 7:09 PM on March 16, 2004

I don't have quicktime and it worked.
posted by konolia at 8:17 PM on March 16, 2004